Hi,

Preparing a route for a coming week end, could you tell me if the following route is rideable (i’m happy to walk a bit), as highlighted in yellow below, near West Lulworth:

thank you!

Thats the South West Coastal Path.

Path.

Coastal Path.

As in Foot Path.

If you want to ride it, yes it’s doable apart from some very steep steps into Kim Bay, it’ll be slippy and muddy too.

I’ve walked it , bloody lovely. got shit faced in a pub half way and camped on the cliff nearby . not sketchy

Thanks. I was trying to keep it not cheeky as it’s not shown on the os map as neither footpath nor bridleway.

Check for red flags in that area. You don’t want to get bombed :0)

( go and ask the purbeck bike monger)

I can not deny it hasn’t been ridden before 😉

It is truly STUNNING area, if you do ride it, be prepared for some finger wagging, even in Winter its a popular route.

You’ll also get told off by the range warden and asked to leave on foot. Just a few miles further east and there’s plenty of bridleways and amazing views 🙂

Thing with the coast path along there its a lot of stop starting type of riding done it around Chapmans pool/ST Aldhelms head etc on cross bike gets a bit hairy close to the cliff edge sometimes lovely spot though.

Detouring into Tyneham is great – its a deserted village. I’ve walked / run from Kimmeridge to Lulworth and back – it’s steep in both direction and you’d certainly be pushing. Wet chalk can also be treacherous. Given that the military are effectively on holiday until next week, I doubt there’ll be much live firing going on!

I was trying to keep it not cheeky as it’s not shown on the os map as neither footpath nor bridleway.

That section of the South West Coast Path is MoD land, and so it is not a Public Right of Way (Bridleway or Footpath). On the 1:25,000 OS map it is designated a ‘Range Walk’. As I recall there is a fence and gate through which you have to pass, and various restrictions are on a sign by the gate, doubtless these will prohibit cycling.

could you tell me if the following route is rideable (i’m happy to walk a bit)

Even if it were permitted, and even if some have ridden it, I struggle to think of a worse route to cycle. Much of it is extremely steep, so not only will you probably have to push your bike up the hills, you will probably have to brake hard and continuously all the way down the other side (or even walk down). You will probably end up going no faster, and possibly even slower, than the walkers, some of whom may share with you their views on your choice of route and the legality/appropriateness of riding it, and because you will be going so slowly, you will not be able to get away from them.

I have a radical suggestion for you. Leave the bike at home and walk along the route. It is a truly stunningly beautiful bit of coast, and walking will allow you to enjoy it much more than trying to ride it.

The opening times are here (note it’s closed on the weekend of the 14th and 15th):

http://www.tynehamopc.org.uk/tyneham_opening_times.html

^^^^this.

Just walk it and go a bit further east for the riding (it’s awsomer).

Have walked and ridden bits of it, as above it is a PATH. Plenty of hike a bike up steps and teeth rattling steps down the other side. A few bits where falling off = death (every now and again (infrequently) a walker falls off and dies)

As above it’s stunning especially on a clear day where the views out to sea are wonderful.

I’d just head inland a bit & ride the road to East Lulworth then over the hill to Steeple. If you’re trying to get towards Swanage you could get back onto bridleways pretty easily from there.